Humans and dogs enjoy a prehistoric relationship, a longstanding bond with its origins in a time when dogs as we know them evolved from wild animals into our domesticated companions.

Now, a canine living in a manner similar to that of dogs from those ancient days may have been discovered in isolated stretches of longleaf pines and cypress swamps in the American Southeast.

The Carolina Dog, a familiar-looking animal long known in the rural South as the "yaller dog," may be more than the common mutt that immediately meets the eye. I. Lehr Brisbin, Jr., Senior Ecologist at the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Lab, believes that these animals may be America's most primitive dogs.

Don't know about "yaller dogs," but found this information after my daughter got a Catahoula:

Once called a "Catahoula Cur," the foundation of the Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog came into existence through chance breeding and from some planned breeding. The Indians in and around Louisiana used the Red Wolf, which then roamed Louisiana during this period, to locate game, much in the same manner as hunters use their dogs today. Hernando DeSoto had traveled from Florida into Louisiana, bringing with him the "War Dogs" that had made the journey to the New World. The breeds that were referred to as War Dogs were the Greyhound and the Mastiff. Research has shown that the Mastiff type of dog that accompanied him was probably those known as the "Alano Mastiff" of Spain, which are now extinct. These Mastiffs had a reputation of being able to pull down very large game with ease. DeSoto utilized their abilities to persuade the Indians to provide information on the whereabouts of Gold and Treasure. Mostly those already owned by the Indians.

After suffering defeat in battle, DeSoto abandoned his War Dogs which were allowed to roam freely. They bred and interbreed with each other along with the Red Wolf. The offspring of the various breedings were then used by the Indians, and became known as the "Wolf Dog." The Wolf Dog, which is mentioned in Louisiana History, as well as most history books covering this era, was the name given to them by Henri Tonti during one of his visits to Louisiana.

By the early 1700's the French had started arriving in Louisiana. Hearing the stories of Tonti of the abundance of game in Louisiana the French brought with them a dog known as the "Bas Rouge," or Red Stockings. This dog has also been called the "Berger de Beauce." Today that very dog is known as the Beauceron. The French bred their dogs with those of the Indians' Wolf Dog, and together these four canines contributed to the inception of the Catahoula that we know today.

In the article, the physical similarity of the Carolina Dog to a breed from an isolated part of Korea was noted. If DNA studies show these two breeds to be very close genetically, it would support the contention of mainstream historians and archaeologists that the American Indians are predominantly of Northeast Asian origin.

"If DNA studies show these two breeds to be very close genetically, it would support the contention of mainstream historians and archaeologists that the American Indians are predominantly of Northeast Asian origin."

Why would they have been wiped out across the entire continent, other than in the isolated pine barrens, swamps and barrier islands of NC, SC, GA and northern FL, though? This region has not been free, historically speaking, of large predators, such as wolves and panthers (referred to by the Scots-Irish as "painters").

I didn't know Australian Shepherds were chimeric. When I first saw a Catahoula I assumed they were part Australian Shepherd. Not only do they resemble them, but Catahoulas are used in herding cattle too.

I don't know it for absolute certain, either. But, there are two causes for this that I am aware, which would be eye injury or chimerism, and I don't think every Australian Shepherd I've ever seen had an eye injury. Maybe there are other causes, but I'm not aware of them.

Their stare is sort of disconcerting. It's intense, like any herding breed, but the two different eye colors really puts the whammy on you, lol. I can see why the tribes in the area would refer to them as "spirit dogs."

Why would they have been wiped out across the entire continent, other than in the isolated pine barrens, swamps and barrier islands of NC, SC, GA and northern FL, though?

I don't know, but one possibility is that the Carolina Dogs represent the oldest canine population, in terms of residence on this continent. If immigration from Northeast Asia was continuous over several thousand years, later arrivals might have brought different breeds which either overwhelmed and assimilated any Carolina like canines elsewhere in what would become the U.S. and Canada. If the Bering Strait "bridge" during the Ice Age theory is correct, then the coastal Southeast would represent the opposite end of the continent from Alaska. Newer migrants, dog and human alike, may not have penetrated these areas in the pre-Columban era.

Back home we call them "jackals," because of their similarity the dogs kept by Africans (the ones who still live in the dirt). You know, yellow coat, curly tail, busy busy busy. They make great pets, by the way.

Back home we call them "jackals," because of their similarity the dogs kept by Africans (the ones who still live in the dirt). You know, yellow coat, curly tail, busy busy busy. They make great pets, by the way.

As a kid, I had a Dachshund (!) that was quite the effective snake hunter, until a copperhead got him right on the nose. The venom went straight to his brain and he died in my arms in the back seat of my parents' car, on the way to the vet. He was one heck of a dog, very brave. No sense of proportion whatsoever, would jump on a Great Dane if it came into "his" yard. He wasn't much with strangers, but he loved, and I mean loved, his people. I still miss him, it's been 30 years.

I almost forgot.. I do have some happy memories of a standard poodle... I keep forgetting my grandpa's dog was a standard... never thought of him as a poodle because his hair was never cut.. he was a big shaggy chocolate brown goofball.. My grandpa gave him pancakes at the table on his birthday... his name was Bear.

Two years ago I moved to Georgia near Ft Stewart and pretty much in the middle of a swamp. About six months ago we were burning some trash and noticed that a dog came out of the woods went right into the fire and started picking out trash to eat from the middle of the fire. She must have been very hungry to do that and so we started leaving out food for her. Before long she started staying at the house full time. A friend of mine on seeing her said the dog looked like a dingo as she had ears that stood up all the time and had a hooked tail. I decided to find out if this dog was austrailian and I came on the carolina dog site. That was surprising she looked just like those dogs. Well not long after she showed up she went into heat and another one of these dogs shows up from out of the woods but he was alot shyer and never stayed around. Needless to say she had puppies with another of these dogs that came out of the woods. Jane Gunnell (I think she is president of the Carolina dog association) came and looked at the mother and believes her to be a full Carolina dog. I think the puppies are probably about 3/4th (we don;t know that much about the father dog) I do have three of the puppies still up for adoption (for free). And yes there are black and white Carolina dogs (not just yellow)

The mother looks very white in these pics however she is yellow on the back and I have noticed as her winter coat is shedding she is becoming more yellow. I have also noticed her lately digging the snout pits and found a bunch of them under some of my peach trees.

Naw, my daddy broke that convention when he married my mother (second generation Swede), and moved all of us from our family concentration in Kentucky. I married a Cuban, and now our family tree branches nicely.

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